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Suspension of Disbelief
Auberon Manor follows a rich paranormal skeptic who is drawn into the mystery of Auberon Manor, an estate with a long, dark reputation, where he discovers something more frightening than a ghost. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Many people will tell you they do not subscribe to the notion that ghosts or other supernatural entities are real. If you were to drop one of these non-believers into an old, isolated, creepy house, I’m willing to wager they’d feel some level of anxiety. Introduce a few odd, not easily explained noises, and even the fiercest skeptic might be tested. What interested me the most in writing this book was the characters’ reaction to discovering a supernatural entity. That’s hardly an everyday occurrence, and I’m sure it would test most people to their limit. I created a group of characters and threw them into that frightening scenario to see what they would do. I admit, I would have fled on day one. Thankfully, my characters are far braver than I would have been. Suspension of disbelief.
Your novel features some very interesting characters with flaws, but who are still likable. How do you go about creating characters for your story?
My preference is for strong, capable characters. The kind of people you can count on when the going gets tough, who run towards a problem instead of away from it. Having said that, not every person is skilled, capable of courage when called upon, nor are they dependable when you’re forced to rely on them. I’m fascinated by human behaviour in all of its forms. Too often, a protagonist has to go out of his or her way to navigate around another person’s shortcomings to reach a goal. That’s life. That’s real. No story proceeds in a flawless straight line. Humans are sometimes bumps in the road that need to be navigated. I want the reader to share that frustration.
What intrigues you about the horror and paranormal genres that led you to write this book?
This genre has no limits. If you can imagine it, you can put it on the page and not be criticized for breaking the rules of physics or angering a reader for forcing them to suspend their disbelief. They want to suspend their belief for a story like this. The author and the readers are all on the same page.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
In addition to writing in this genre, I also write action-adventure, legal thrillers, and tech thrillers. My next book is titled ‘Legacy of a Silent Man.’ This is an action book. Work is underway, and the publication is expected in the first quarter of 2026.
Author Website
For the curious and adventurous, the stories read on the website inspire them to make the journey to Pennsylvania and see the manor for themselves. Over time, the stories about the house grow darker with reports of visitors suffering injuries. When an amateur group of investigators conducts a scientific examination of the house, disaster strikes. Members of the investigative team suffer broken arms, a broken rib, and a near-fatal concussion. This compels the owner to prohibit any further visits.
When the story of the Auberon haunting reaches a bored and wealthy young man named Dane Ledger, he’s encouraged by a friend to take a ghost-hunting road trip. To Dane, who doesn’t believe in ghosts, it presents an opportunity to debunk the ridiculous notion that this house, or any house, is haunted. He and his friend arrive at the manor to discover recently erected fencing and a guard who refuses them entry. All of this security makes Dane and his friend even more curious about the house. They approach the homeowner for permission to inspect the property, but are firmly denied. After money is exchanged and Dane agrees to assemble a team of professional paranormal investigators to inspect, identify, and exterminate the entity from the manor, permission is finally granted.
With the team assembled, they enter Auberon Manor and discover its frightening occupant. Terrified by what they’ve discovered, and too frightened to go back into the house, they struggle to find a way forward. Letting the entity remain in the home is not an acceptable option, as it would imperil every future visitor. They don’t know what they’re battling, but it’s not a ghost. It’s something much worse.
Auberon Manor
Paul Chandler’s Auberon Manor is a supernatural thriller that pulls you in slowly, like fog curling over the edges of a graveyard. It begins with Edison Elsher, a weary paranormal investigator whose skepticism is tested when he’s drawn into the mystery of Auberon Manor, a mansion with a long, dark reputation. Alongside Dane Ledger, a rich skeptic seeking proof that ghosts don’t exist, and a small team of experts, Edison steps into a place where logic falters and fear takes root. Chandler builds the dread steadily, layer by layer, and by the time the team realizes they’re in over their heads, it’s far too late to turn back.
I’ll admit, the writing surprised me. It’s clean, deliberate, and full of old-fashioned storytelling confidence. Chandler doesn’t rush. He lets the tension breathe. Some chapters read like a slow drip of unease, and others explode with sharp, unsettling energy. The characters feel grounded, flawed, and real. Edison’s weariness hits hard, and Dane’s arrogance cracks just when it should. The dialogue feels lived-in. People talk the way real people talk when they’re scared but trying not to show it. There’s a sense of decay throughout the book, not just in the manor itself, but in the people who come near it. That touch of melancholy made the story more than just a haunted house tale, it felt like a story about pride, guilt, and the limits of reason.
There are moments where I wanted the fear to bite sooner. But when it comes, it’s worth the wait. The haunting isn’t about gore, it’s about what you can’t quite name but can’t shake either. The book also has a throwback charm. It feels like something between The Haunting of Hill House and Poltergeist, but written with modern restraint. Chandler clearly loves the genre, and it shows in the care he takes to make the supernatural believable.
When I closed Auberon Manor, I sat for a bit, thinking about how fear works, not just in old houses, but in us. I’d recommend this one to readers who like their horror slow and thoughtful, more spine-tingling than stomach-turning. If you enjoy haunted stories that respect your intelligence and still manage to give you chills, this is your kind of book.
Pages: 231 | ASIN : B0FSYL9B2P
Propulsive Stories
Stolen follows a brilliant, tough, and resourceful private investigator with a powerful AI who helps a woman being stalked for her new EV battery, when it snowballs out of control into blackmail, espionage, and an underground crime ring aided by a rival AI. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
This question goes to the heart of how I write. Sometimes I start a chapter with only a vague idea of what I want to accomplish. When it’s done, more than I expected ends up on the page. For example, in Stolen, a deadly international assassin targets the protagonist and her client. Until the moment I started writing that chapter, there was no assassin, not even the concept of one. My creative process is fluid and more creative as I go. I never outline my stories or rely on pages of story notes. I start with a loose story framework, define the characters, and then let them loose. I’m sometimes surprised when a twist I hadn’t intended to write suddenly appears. If I like the twist and think it enhances the story, I leave it in and make whatever adjustments are necessary to accommodate it. For my book, Stolen, I didn’t have a distinct element of inspiration; I just had a general idea. However, as this is the third book in the series, the characters were already well-known to me. This familiarity made it easier to tell the story.
The supporting characters in this novel, I thought, were intriguing and well-developed. Who was your favorite character to write for?
Molly, with her massive AI brain, is always fun to write for. In this book, I explore why Molly is motivated to work with humans, rather than trying to wipe out humanity, as some people fear the technology may one day do.
How did you balance the action scenes with the story elements and still keep a fast pace in the story?
I intentionally write all of my books with pace in mind. My favorite line in a review is this: “…I couldn’t put the book down,” or “It kept me up late into the night.” As a reader myself, I enjoy propulsive stories. I want my readers to experience that sensation.
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Riley Callen and the direction of the next book?
I’m taking a break from this series, but I’ll definitely return to it in the future. These great characters have many more stories to tell. When I do return to the series, the next book already has a title: Quantum. If you think AI’s potential is scary, wait until you see an AI installed on a quantum computer. It’s not hyperbole to say the tech could break the world.
Author Links: Amazon
However, when a Chinese conglomerate purchases the company, Lena learns there will be no payday. The new owner is not liable for the contract she’d negotiated with the old management. Frustrated but determined to change her luck, she revises her original design and substantially extends the battery’s range. She intends to sell the new design to a competing company, which will render her old design obsolete. But it soon becomes clear that the Chinese company that acquired her battery design has become aware of her plan and is surveilling her wherever she goes. Fearful for her safety, Lena contacts Riley Callen and asks for help. Riley and her AI associate Molly quickly intercede, diffuse the situation, and get Lena the money she’s owed.
Thinking the case is resolved, Riley returns to assisting the FBI with capturing a highly organized crew of kidnappers. The Feds had made no progress on the case until Riley and Molly started working on it. Molly quickly discovers the kidnappers have an AI of their own coordinating the logistics of the kidnappings. This allows those in charge to get rich while simultaneously distancing themselves from their crimes and the criminals they employ to do the dirty work.
While embroiled in her work with the FBI, Molly reports that the man running the corrupt Chinese company, Mr. Shi, has contracted an international assassin named The Black Dragon to kill Riley and her client, Lena Alton. Not wanting to stop chasing the kidnappers, who are promising violence against future hostages if the FBI continues to interfere with their crimes, Riley brings in her Special Ops friends, Carnivore and Vegas, to help her dispatch the assassin before he can do any harm.
The clock is ticking on both cases, and Riley will have to work faster than ever to stop these bad guys.
Stolen
After reading Stolen by Paul Chandler, the third installment in the Riley Callen series, I found myself genuinely hooked. This book kicks off with Lena Alton, an electrical engineer, being stalked by agents of a Chinese conglomerate who stole her revolutionary EV battery design. Enter Riley Callen, a brilliant, tough, and resourceful private investigator with a powerful AI named Molly at her side. What starts as a corporate theft case snowballs into an international standoff involving blackmail, espionage, and artificial intelligence. The narrative splits into two main arcs: the battery showdown and a dark, layered kidnapping case involving an underground crime ring aided by a rival AI. The pace never lets up, and each chapter tightens the grip a little more.
What I loved most was the writing. Chandler doesn’t waste words, but he doesn’t skimp on texture either. His characters have depth without melodrama. Riley is smart and sharp without being a cliché, and her interactions with Molly add this sly, futuristic energy that still feels grounded. The humor is dry and quick, and it shows up at just the right times. And Molly, the AI sidekick, might just be my favorite character. The way Chandler builds tension through dialogue and lean, action-heavy scenes kept me flipping pages late into the night. I also appreciated how Chandler made tech accessible. I never felt lost in jargon, but the stakes still felt serious.
The book leans into a familiar hero-vs-powerful-evil trope, and there are moments where Riley’s almost-too-perfect mastery of every situation stretches belief. Still, I didn’t mind. Chandler writes Riley with enough heart and wit that I was willing to go along for the ride. I was especially intrigued by the moral undertones. Like how Riley operates outside the law but with a fierce sense of justice, and how AI, depending on who programs it, can be either savior or predator. There’s a commentary here on corporate, technological, institutional power, and what it means to outsmart it when you’re one person (with an AI and some nerve) up against the world.
If you love fast-paced thrillers with sharp characters and just enough tech to make your pulse quicken, this book is worth your time. Fans of Michael Crichton or early Lee Child would find a lot to enjoy. It’s smart and fun. And if you like the idea of a private eye outwitting a global corporation and out-hacking an evil AI, then buckle up. Stolen delivers.
Pages: 250 | ASIN : B0FG89SC4W
Dark Government Agency
Overmatched follows a shadow government agent who is made aware of an expert hacker who has hacked a Chinese spy satellite and sets out to recruit them to work for her. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
This is the 2nd book in the Riley Callen series. The AI in my book is very powerful, and I wanted a worthy adversary for her. So I created a dark government agency with massive funding and cutting-edge tech. This agency thought they had the means to take on the AI, but underestimated her and her human partner throughout the book.
Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
Yes. The character named Jedd is named for a good friend of mine. I promised him I would have a character named Jedd in every one of my books. Sometimes he’s a villain, sometimes a hero. I kept my promise. He appears in all six of my novels, and you’ll see him in the next book, too.
I found the science in the novel to be well-developed. What kind of research did you do to make sure you got it all right?
I’ve worked as a computer professional for many years, so I understand how a lot of tech works. With the AI pieces, I at least understand the framework. Since this is fiction, I took some liberties. I’m not a weapons guy, so the internet saved me there.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story?
If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover? Yes. I’m working on the 3rd book in the series now. It’s titled: STOLEN. It’s about a high-end kidnapping ring. The people running it are smart, capable, and prolific. The FBI is under tremendous pressure to stop this gang, but is having no luck. The FBI agent running the investigation reaches out to private investigator Riley Callen, who is known for having rescued a high-profile kidnapping victim in record time, for assistance. These criminals have their own AI, which Riley’s AI battles with.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
Adler’s second mistake was thinking that Molly was human. The benefit of that error was that the SPG was looking in all the wrong places for Riley’s friend. But with the technology at Adler’s disposal, he might eventually discover that Molly is an advanced AI and track her to her digital home. Riley needs to warn Molly about the SPG threat but cannot contact her. The corporation that owns the AI has her locked down. Her ability to communicate independently is restricted, and her processing power is reduced by seventy percent.
When Riley last spoke with the AI, Molly had hinted at a plan to break the restrictions placed on her. But until she executed that plan, she was at risk. It would be up to Riley to run interference until Molly gained her freedom. When she finally did, Riley would unleash her on the SPG.
As the hostilities between Riley and the SPG escalate, Adler makes yet another fateful mistake; he kidnaps Riley’s father and imprisons him at a secret SPG base. His release is contingent on Riley giving up Molly’s location. Riley is furious at Adler for dragging her father into their fight. Adler’s supreme confidence in his agency’s might and technological prowess blinds him to the threat of an angry, determined Riley Callen.
Overmatched
In Overmatched, the second installment of the Reily Callen series, Reily faces a formidable enemy equipped with vast resources, sinister motives, and complete deniability. As the repercussions of her previous adventure with Molly come to the forefront, Reily must navigate through a web of intrigue and danger. This book stands out as an excellent standalone read, yet it would shine even brighter as part of a series or film adaptation. It brims with action, adventure, character development, and continuity with the previous volume. Despite not having read the first book, Overmatched compelled me to seek it out, a testament to Chandler’s captivating storytelling.
Reminiscent of action-packed films like John Wick, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and Die Hard, Overmatched embodies the spirit of a classic Summer Action Blockbuster. The narrative is filled with thrilling gunfights, intense fistfights, and a range of villains—from the diabolical to the inept—providing ample opportunities for Reily, Molly, and other protagonists to shine. The primary antagonist serves as a brilliant foil to Reily, characterized by meticulous planning but flawed execution, contrasting sharply with Reily’s short-tempered and reactive nature. It’s rare for a second book in a series to entice readers to explore the first, but Overmatched accomplishes this effortlessly. The desire to delve deeper into Chandler’s world, spend more time with the characters, and experience the events of the first book is strong. This speaks volumes about the quality and appeal of Chandler’s writing. This book delivers on all fronts: action, flair, high-stakes moments, and sophisticated technology, much like the exhilarating scenes we enjoy in movie theaters. Chandler captures these elements beautifully, making the book an engaging read.
Overmatched is a thrilling book filled with suspense and action that evokes fond memories of watching movies with friends and enjoying the laughter and excitement of a genuinely good time. While it may not appeal to everyone, it is undoubtedly a fun read, and I eagerly anticipate more from Chandler.
Pages: 321 | ASIN : B0D2VWGWCQ
LITERARY TITAN 